House, Senate Work to Settle In

Newly elected and veteran Florida legislators, including members of the eight-person Polk County delegation, have orientation and planning sessions today and Tuesday in Tallahassee.

By BILL RUFTYLEDGER POLITICAL EDITOR

Newly elected and veteran Florida legislators, including members of the eight-person Polk County delegation, have orientation and planning sessions today and Tuesday in Tallahassee. The 2013 session of the Legislature begins March 5. In addition to ongoing budget challenges, the Republican-controlled Legislature now must deal with several issues it had avoided.New House members will face an entire day of training, on both the legislative process and parliamentary procedure, today. Tuesday, all members of the Florida Senate will be sworn in during a 9 a.m. organizational session. House members will be sworn in at 10 a.m. Some members also might get an idea where their new offices will be — if they have already been assigned committee chairmanships. And some chairmanships likely will be appointed in the House today or Tuesday, with other committee memberships to be named sometime in December. "I think we are a week or so away from having all committee chairmanships filled," said Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, who has already been named to one of the toughest jobs in the Legislature — chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "But the Senate hasn't named any of its committee chairs or leadership posts."There is discussion that McKeel may not be the only chairman of a committee from the Polk delegation, but so far those appointments are closely held secrets of incoming Speaker of the House Will Weatherford. Both chambers should have all committees filled by the end of the year because of the many issues pressing in the 2013 session. Senator-elect Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who attended the Senate's orientation for two days last week, said that in addition to budget issues, the Legislature will be dealing with the new health-care laws passed in Washington. Legislators put off dealing with those during the last session while lawsuits and the presidential election were pending."We have to figure out all of the new health issues and how they must be implemented. And that will be a difficult task, because even the federal government has not provided guidelines on it," she said. "We will have a week of committee meetings in December and two weeks in January."Although she has served in the House, she said being in the Senate will be a little different — moving from a body of 120 to one with 40 members. "There not as many cooks in the kitchen," she said of the smaller Senate. "It tends to be more deliberative because of its size. There will also be more committee assignments for each member."In addition to Stargel, whose Senate District 15 covers Lakeland and northern parts of the county, the Polk County delegation will also include Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, from District 21, and Darren Soto, D-Orlando, from Senate District 14. Newcomers on the House side will be Neil Combee, R-Lakeland, and Mike La Rosa, R-Kissimmee. Returning are McKeel; John Wood, R-Winter Haven; and Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula. Albritton was the only delegation member who faced no opponent this year. Elective office is not new to Combee. He spent many years on the Polk County Commission. When he left, the commission named the county administrative building for him But legislating for the state and dealing with numerous procedures in the House are a little different because of the statewide effect of legislation, the size of the lawmaking body and the factions within the House.Still, Combee is no stranger to Tallahassee because of the times county commissioners needed to lobby committees there.One thing most legislators, especially the new ones, will be doing today and tomorrow is looking for housing for the nine-week session. While many will be checking on condominium apartments to rent for the session, a house to split with other legislators or maybe a motel, Combee said he will be looking at hookups at Tallahassee RV Park. "Yeah, I am going to do the Dennis Ross approach to Tallahassee," he said of Congressman Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, who when he first started his political career as a sate representative lived out of his motor home. "It's a whole lot cheaper, Dennis said. And you don't have to pack, move up there, unpack and set stuff up for the session, then pack to go home and unpack once you get there. You just throw everything in the trailer and you're done," Combee said with a laugh.

[ Ledger Political Editor Bill Rufty can be reached at bill.rufty@theledger.com or 863-802-7523. His blog can be seen at www.polkpolitics.blogs.theledger.com. ]